The National Film Authority (NFA) has received almost 100 applications for its Film Development Fund, with applicants collectively requesting close to GH¢100 million in support. Fifty‑six of those entries have been shortlisted and are pitching their projects face‑to‑face to a panel of evaluators between 9 and 13 November 2026.
The panel will decide which projects receive funding from the Fund’s GH¢20 million seed allocation. The total budget requested by the applicants is about GH¢1 billion, roughly 50 times the size of the Fund and five times the available funding, underscoring the demand for financial backing among Ghanaian filmmakers.
According to the NFA, the selection process will prioritise projects that are bankable, deliverable and rooted in Ghanaian content. “The response has been remarkable. Close to a hundred applications and a combined project value approaching one billion cedis tell us the industry has been waiting for this kind of structured support,” said Kafui Danku‑Pitcher, Executive Secretary of the National Film Authority.
Mawuko Afadzinu, Chairman of the Film Development Fund Management Committee, added that the committee is acting as stewards of a public resource. “This is not a prize draw. We are looking for projects with a credible plan, a capable team and a clear route to audiences and revenue. The strength of the pitches so far gives us confidence that the Fund will be put to work well.”
Under the Fund’s rules, drawn from the Film Development and Classification Act, 2016 (Act 935), the Fund may support up to 60 percent of an eligible project’s budget, while applicants must raise the remaining amount themselves. This arrangement is designed to attract private investment and partnerships, allowing the Fund’s GH¢20 million allocation to support projects with a much larger combined value.
More than 66 percent of the applications received are for the Production Window, making the production of finished films the Fund’s most sought‑after area of support. The Fund’s seed allocation is organised into ten windows divided into two groups: five Core Windows—Production, Distribution & Marketing, Cinema Infrastructure Development, Strategic Industry Projects, and International Co‑Production—and five Enabling Windows—Development, Training & Capacity Building, Research & Innovation, Regional Development & Inclusion, and Public Education & Behavioural Change.
The NFA plans to disburse funds from the end of November into early December, following the panel’s final selections. This timing is intended to allow funded projects to begin execution before the end of the year, potentially generating work for crews, cast members and suppliers in the first weeks of the new production cycle.
While the Fund’s focus on production reflects the immediate needs of producers who now have films ready to shoot, the broader window structure aims to build a sustainable industry by supporting scripts, trained crews, cinemas, distribution networks and co‑production deals that open foreign markets.
As Ghana positions itself alongside other African film industries, the Film Development Fund represents a significant step toward a more robust creative economy, offering a structured pathway for filmmakers to secure the capital needed to bring Ghanaian stories to local and international audiences.
